


Aftermath

by SQ (proteinscollide)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, M/M, OT5 if you squint - Freeform, mentions of Harry/Nick - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-03 00:30:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1724522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/proteinscollide/pseuds/SQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s tough being an integral part of a successful, international boyband/corporate machine. </p>
<p>Office AU or allegory, your choice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Ro (littlerhymes) for beta-ing, and letting me ramble on about 1D shenanigans over fancy cocktails.

"Goddammit, Louis!"

Niall looked up as Liam - ‘I’m not a regular manager, I’m a cool manager’ - burst out of his office, forehead furrowed.

“Niall, are you - oh, right,” Liam said looking over Niall’s shoulder as he pushed publish on his second kitten-related post in a row. Anything to break up the shitshow that was their Twitter feed right now.

“I’m on it,” Niall assured him. “And I’ve got, like, another eight cute animal gifsets queued up for Tumblr. There’s one with Harry and a puppy that’s -”

“Great, great,” Liam said, distractedly checking his phone as it beeped and beeped, the notifications piling on fast and furious on top of each other. “I have to - actually, speaking of which, where’s Harry?”

“He’s...out charming PR,” Niall said. His face stayed blank, but Liam heard the hesitation in his voice.

“He’s upstairs fucking Nick in a supply cupboard, isn’t he?” Liam asked, resignedly.

Niall shrugged with his whole body, eyes wide, which was as good as a yes.

“Well, at least that might soften the coverage over at the Beeb,” Liam said, sighing. “I wonder if we could send Harry out to every media outlet baying for our blood right now? No, I’m not serious,” he added in a hurry when Niall looked alarmed.

“Did you want to put out a statement as well?” Niall said. “I could draft something up quickly.”

“No need, I’ve already taken care of that,” Liam said, as he started walking away, his steps getting faster and longer as Niall’s face turned red.

“What do you mean you’ve taken care of it?” Niall said, voice rising at the end of the question. “What have we said about posting on public spaces without checking with your social media manager first - Liam. LIAM PAYNE COME BACK HERE!”

“Um, can’t, gotta dash, troublemakers to ream out,” Liam yelled guiltily down the corridor as he disappeared around a corner.  
  
Niall groaned and turned back to his laptop, fingers flying the keys as he checked their channels one by one. Twitter, wall-to-wall kittens. Tumblr, ditto, teacup piglets. Blog, oh fuckin’ hell -

_Sorrry but not realy_ was the headline. Niall groaned again and banged his head on his desk.

Harry stumbled into the office, the scarf from this morning now missing from his head of messed-up curls, jumper askew and inside out.

“Heeeey, what did I miss?” he said, as he came up behind Niall. “Oh, what are we not apologising for now?”

“Lou and Zayn did a thing,” Niall said.

“I’m going to need a bit more than that,” Harry said.

“A somewhat offensive video thing trashing our extremely popular and profitable product as well as our target market,” Niall clarified.

Harry nodded, then crinkled his brow. “Wait, so Liam is not sorry?“

“No, I think he is,” Niall said. “But sometimes it’s hard to tell when he gets his rant on without spellcheck. Want to help me calm the masses while Liam deals with the other two?”

“Yeah,” Harry said, pulling up a chair. “Oh, that’s cute! Is it eating a banana?”

**  
  
Liam banged his fist against the door of the meeting room again. “Guys, I know you’re in there!”

“No we’re not,” Louis said, followed by a lot of giggling.

Liam sighed. “OK, but if you were, could you unlock the door so I can come in and have a chat about...you know.”

“Nah, dunno what you’re talking about, mate,” came the reply. “Me and Zayn are hard at work in here, come back another time?”

“No, now works for me,” Liam said. “Also, I’m having trouble believing that ‘hard at work’ thing based on what just happened.”

“We can’t all be Mr _‘It’s a career for life’_ Styles,” Louis said with a snort. “Hey, maybe you could just say the stress of working so hard got to me.”

“Is that really it?” Liam said. “Is that why you made the video?”

“Hmm, maybe,” Louis said. “Do you think that’ll fly? ‘Cos I guess ‘I hate my job’ isn’t quite going to work in this situation.”

Liam dropped his head against the door with a thunk, breathing deeply. “Louis, I’m on your side,” he said. “You’ve been in this from the start, you helped build this into the success it is. I just want to help us get back on - are you guys hotboxing the meeting room?!”

"You're not the boss of me!" Louis screamed from inside.

"Actually, I kind of am,” Liam said wearily. “I mean, you even got me a mug that says so.”

“It was a joke," Louis said sulkily. “Stop taking it so seriously, Payno.”

“Come on you two, it’s time to come out and face the music,” Liam cajoled. “Or let me in, and we can decide where to from here. It’s got to look like I’ve made at least an effort at disciplinary action.”

There was a silence, and then the door swung open slowly. “Disciplinary action, you say?”

**

“Liam’s been gone an awfully long time,” Harry said, as Niall finished setting up new passwords on all of their social media accounts, passwords only he knew and never planned to give out. “Maybe we should check up on them?”

There was no one else in the office, so it didn’t take long to pinpoint where Liam could be. As they rounded the corner to the meeting room, they could hear a steady slapping sound, and someone counting, with almost a sob in their voice.

“...nineteen, twenty.”

Niall gently pushed the door open, then rolled his eyes at the scene before them. “Jesus, Liam, if that’s your idea of telling them off no wonder they keep acting up.”

“Spanking is punishment!” Liam protested. He’d managed to lose most of his clothes.

“Yeah, but I bet it was Lou’s idea,” Harry said, flopping into one of the chairs around the table.

“Maybe,” Liam said shame-facedly. Louis looked blissed out, eyes closed, lying across Liam’s lap with pants around his ankles. Liam’s fingers were still stroking the reddened skin under his hands.

“You let them get off too easily,” Niall grumbled, then winced when he realised what he’d said.

Louis cracked open an eye and grinned. “Good one, Nialler,” he said, and held his hand out.

“Don’t - ” Niall said, shaking his head disgustedly as Harry smacked his palm against Louis’.

“Oops,” Harry said sadly. “I can’t help it, you know bad puns are my weakness.”

“What have you been doing through all this?” Niall asked Zayn, who’d had his head down over their latest annual report. He leaned over for a look over Zayn’s shoulder. “OK, wow, that’s - you need to make sure those pictures never get out.”

Just then, the TV screen at the end of the room flickered to life.

“Oh shit, we forgot the video conference at 11,” Liam muttered. Louis dived under the table to hide, leaving the other four to face their CEO.

“So how’s it all going, boys?” Simon said briskly. “Everything under control now?”

For a panicked moment they all looked at each other.

“Uh, yes?” Liam said finally. There was nothing forthcoming from Simon, so he added, “You’re not, um, angry at us about...?”

“You can’t buy publicity like that,” Simon said. “Helps with the big push live tomorrow. But next time you pull such a stunt lads, just let us know in advance, won’t you?”

“Yes, of course - aaah!” Liam fell silent suddenly, hand gripping tight around the edge of the table.

Niall looked over at him, puzzled. Harry ducked under the table for a moment, and when he popped back up he had a smirk, miming the international symbol for blowjob obscenely, out of view of the camera.

“Then I’ve got nothing to worry about,” Simon said. “Great, terrific. Knew you’d have it in hand.” He logged off from the call abruptly, the screen going black.

“Fuck,” Liam moaned, allowing himself to slide down his seat, head pillowed on the table. “You’re a menace, Louis, you know?”

Harry ducked under the table again for a better view and Zayn followed shortly, sketching once again.

"No, seriously,” Niall said. “This is definitely not best business practice.”

But clearly no one was listening to him, and after a moment he gave in and slid under the table as well.

END


End file.
